Suggested Items

This option allows you to view or select the suggested items for the currently selected item. When setting up the suggested items, the quantity you enter will be the default quantity when this item is rented. If you rent two of the current item, then the default quantity will be two times the number you entered. You can enter a zero for the quantity desired. Then the suggested item will show on the screen with a default of zero. The counter person can accept zero or type in the quantity the customer is getting. This allows you to put all the related items on one screen so the counter person can quickly and easily enter all the items the customer is getting.

Topics in this article include

• Setup

• Standard Suggested Items List

• Quantity, Check Box, and Multi-Select Options

• Advanced Usage of Suggested Items

• Generic Suggested Items

Setup

1. From Expert - Program Menu> File Maintenance
   From Elite - Configuration gear > File Maintenance (Under Core Options)
2. Select Item File and then search and select an item
3. From within the File record, select Tools> Suggested Items.
4. Right-click anywhere within the box and select New. The Inventory Selection screen appears. Search for the item and select it. By default, the type of selection will be ‘Quantity,’ and the ‘Qty’ will be 0. The Type can be changed by a single left-clicking within the field and using the drop-down menu.

5. The user then has the option of setting a special rate, discount amount, or discount percent.

*Special Rate Note – For suggested items that come for free or half off with the rental, DO NOT check the special rate box (this box should only be used when you want to use a different rate structure for an item selected as a related item). This will prevent the rates from updating if a rate increase is taken in the future. Use either the Discount or Disc % field for this purpose.

Standard Suggested Items List

Allows the counter or salesperson to select suggested item quantities while writing the contract.

Quantity, Check Box, and Multi-Select Options

These options can be used if the suggested item is always added in the same quantity or if you offer a specific quantity at a reduced rate. For example, a Skid Steer would almost never rent with more than one trailer.

• After entering the quantity for the suggested item, left-click within the item’s ‘Type’ field and select your choice from the drop-down menu.

Quantity

Allows the counter to manually input the suggested item’s quantity.

Check No

Allows the counter to manually check the item’s box, which will add the item to the contract. None or all of the boxes can be selected.

*Note: Hovering your mouse over the check box will display the quantity that will be added to the contract if chosen.

Check Yes

This will look identical to check no, except the boxes are automatically checked. Clicking OK will automatically add them. Un-checking the boxes or clicking cancel will leave them off the contract.

Multi-Select

This is useful when a customer gets a choice of one free attachment for a rental item, and any additional attachments are charged at standard rental rates. Multi-select prevents the user from selecting more than one multi-select item in a suggested items list. For example, a customer may get a free bucket or a free set of forks with a skid steer rental. The user can never select more than one item.

*Note: You can build attachments a second time to allow users to select additional attachments at standard rental rates.

Multi Yes

It simply pre-selects the most common attachment. While you can set more than one item to Yes, only the last item set to Yes will display as selected.

*Important note – Any item in a suggested items list with an item type of Rental Accessory will be added to the contract at zero cost, no matter what the rates are set to.

Example (combines all three methods)

This example gives the customer a choice of a Smooth or Tooth Bucket or a set of Forks for free (Multi-Select). If they want additional items for a charge, they can choose from the options below (Check No). Since the quantity of Ear Protection can vary with each rental, it is left at Quantity, which the user can enter when writing the contract.

Advanced Usage of Suggested Items

Large Suggested Items List:

• Create an item with the item type of Rental – Package
• Add the rest of the suggested items to that package under its suggested items
• Add the package to the original item under Tools>Package Items.

The user will go through the first list of suggested items on a contract, and then the suggested items from the Rental Package item. It will simply appear to the user as two pages of suggested items.

Generic Suggested Items

Items such as expandable tents may all have the same securing materials. Instead of adding stakes, water barrels, cement weights, and other securing items to each tent individually, an item with the item type Rental – Package can be created.

• Create an item with the item type of Rental – Package (name it something like, “Tent Securing” in this case)
• Add the generic items to the Suggested Items in that package
• Add the package to the multiple rental items that would use those suggested items under Tools>Package Items

This way, any changes made to the tent securing inventory (such as a new tent stake added for beaches) only need to be made once to the securing package, rather than every tent in inventory.